


Come What May

by lasairfhiona



Series: matchmaker, or not [3]
Category: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-06
Updated: 2011-10-06
Packaged: 2017-10-24 09:08:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/261584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona





	Come What May

When he pulled into the empty driveway, Chip took a second look at the address on the invitation to make sure he had the right place. Lee and Jamie had rented a beach house for the four of them to have a long weekend get-a-way after a stressful mission and to relax while Seaview went into a maintenance period. A car pulling in behind as he got his duffle from the backseat, him gave him a little more confidence that he really and truly had the right place and that maybe Lee or Jamie was out.

"Admiral," Chip greeted as he closed the backdoor when he saw who had also arrived.

"Chip," Admiral Nelson acknowledged, getting out of the car and pulling his overnight back with him. "The others come with you?" he asked noticing the lack of a third car.

Shaking his head, Chip answered, "No sir. I just got here." He hoped he was being paranoid and when they walked into the cabin they would find Lee or Jamie waiting inside, but he had a bad feeling about this. "I assumed one of them was out or they were running late."

Nelson did what came naturally to him and took charge. "Well let's go and see if anyone is here or if there is a note."

Together they climbed he steps to the front porch. Finding the main door to the cabin opened they Chip pulled the screen door open and held it while the Admiral walked through. Seeing an empty living room and hearing no signs of inhabitation they called out.

"Lee," Chip called out.

"Jamie," Admiral Nelson echoed.

Getting no response, Chip headed to the kitchen while the Admiral went to look around the other rooms. Years of being friends with and occasionally rooming with Lee had them both trained to leave notes in the kitchen for one another. Usually stuck to the refrigerator with the magnets they started giving to one another as a joke. He found the note but not where he expected it to be. It was in the middle of the kitchen table propped up against a bottle of his favourite red wine. The bad feeling he'd had before now slammed into him again like a ton of bricks. He had a good idea without opening the envelope that had both his and Admiral Nelson's name on it what it said. He knew Lee had taken things into his own hands after the conversation they'd had. He debated not telling the Admiral about the note, but hearing "Chip, what did you find?" took the decision out of his hands.

"A note from Lee for the both of us," Chip answered.

"Let me see," Nelson requested holding his hand out.

Chip handed the envelope over, hoping that the Admiral didn't notice his trembling hands. With dread he watched as Nelson slipped a finger under the flap and ripped the envelope open, tossing it to the table before unfolding the note. Chip's concern grew when he couldn't read his boss's expression. The usually open man was closed as the red head read the letter in silence. Chip got his chance to read what his friend had written when the Admiral handed the single sheet of paper to him without saying a word before walking to the window to stare out at the beach beyond.

Looking between the note in his hand and the Admiral's back Chip wished he had some idea of what was going through the Admiral's mind. But his boss still gave nothing away in his expression or posture. In fact, Chip couldn't remember ever seeing such a stony expression on the Admiral's face before. When he finally looked at Lee's neat script, he read:

 _Chip and Admiral Nelson,_

 _I've kept the confidences you both have placed with me but I feel it is time you started talking to one another. You both have so much to give, why not see if you can give it to one another._

 _The cabin is yours for the weekend._

 _Lee_

 

"I'm going to kill him," Chip muttered, closing his fist around the note, crumpling the paper. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around his friend's neck and squeeze. Crawling under a rock before Admiral Nelson turned around to look at him ran a close second.

"Chip?" Nelson questioned, having turned around when he heard Chip's voice.

"Sir?" Chip had no idea what to say. He felt embarrassed and betrayed by what Lee had done. As much as he cared for the Admiral, this was exactly what he had never wanted to happen. They were now both in an uncomfortable place and one of them would have some serious explaining to do and he had a feeling it would be him. But yet. The Admiral hadn't exploded in anger, hadn't left, and hadn't immediately demanded an explanation, a tiny spark of hope flared inside Chip.

"Do you know what Lee is talking about?" he asked softly, leaning against the window frame watching his Exec.

Chip nodded. "Partially," he admitted. Lee was matchmaking and it terrified him. "A while ago Lee confronted me about something he'd guessed a long time ago and I confirmed his suspicions."

Nelson mulled over what Chip had said before asking, "How long?" he kept his voice even, not giving away what he was feeling and how Chip's revelation effected him.

"Since we were at the Academy," Chip answered, choosing to examine the bottle of wine so he wouldn't have to look at the Admiral and see the disgust he expected.

When the bottle of wine was taken from his hands, Chip was forced to look at the Admiral.

"That long?" Nelson asked. He hoped he understood what Lee was taking about in his cryptic letter and he really hoped he and Morton were on the same page or he was about to make a very big mistake.

"Yes, sir," Chip answered quietly. He answered honestly but he still had no idea where the Admiral was going with his questions.

Setting the bottle down with a thunk, he Admiral touched Chip's hand where it gripped the back of the chair with white knuckles. "Let's go for a walk down the beach," he suggested, pointing to the back door and the beach that lay beyond. When Chip nodded, he continued, "If we are having the conversation I think we are going to have, you should probably call me Harry."

Chip looked sharply at his boss. "Yes, si…Harry," he stuttered. That spark of hope flared even more and Chip relaxed, dropping the crumpled letter he still had in one hand, and followed the Admiral out of the door.

For a while they walked in silence. The waves gently breaking on the sand and the wind whistling through the palms were the only sound. Both men were deep in their own thoughts or too unsure how to proceed. Finally, when he couldn't stand the silence any more, Chip asked, "What about you si… Harry?"

Harry didn't even pretend not to understand what Chip was asking. Like Chip, he too entertained thoughts of harming his Captain when he'd read Lee's letter. There was also this part of him that was glad their friend took the initiative neither of them had been able to. "It seems I too shared a confidence with Lee. Only not since the Academy. It's been since you came to work at the Institute," he finally admitted stopping to turn and look at Chip. He wanted to gauge the blonde's reaction to his admission.

"So what now?"

Harry stepped closer. "How about this?" he suggested as he reached up to run his thumb across Chip's lips before reaching around to cup the back of Chip's neck and pull him down for a kiss. He couldn't help but sigh when their lips met for the first time. He'd wanted to do that for a long time and now that he had it he wanted to savour the moment.

While they continued to share soft kisses intermixed with deep searching ones, Chip wrapped his arms around the shorter man. Now that he had Harry in his arms he took the opportunity to do something he wanted to do. He sank his fingers into the thick red hair and played with the tendrils at the back of Harry's neck that threatened to curl if Harry didn't keep them cut short. Intent on the feel of Harry's mouth on his and the kisses they were sharing, Chip never realized how tightly they were pressed together until he felt the hard length of Harry's erection pressing against his thigh.

With a sigh, they both pulled back, cognizant of the fact they were very much in public. They moving a little faster than expected, brought home the fact that they really needed to talk about where they were going with this.

"We should go back. Sit down and talk about this," Harry suggested, running his fingers along Chip's cheek.

Chip nodded and together they walked back to the beach house. "I wonder what else we'll find from Lee?" he said, half joking and half worried.

Harry laughed a full rich laugh, breaking any of the remaining tension between them. "Knowing Lee, it could be anything…"

Boldly grasping Harry's hand, they walked back to the cabin hand in hand.

 

EPILOGUE

Chip carried the two glasses of wine to the front porch where he gave one to Harry with a kiss before settling into the chair next to his lover. His lover. Harry was his lover. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around that one. For so many years he'd dreamed about loving Harry and now that he could it seemed a little unreal even with his hand clasped in Harry's larger broader one. So much had happened in the last 24 hours. Yesterday they had come here to have a weekend of relaxation with their friends and this morning they were lovers.

Thanks to a cryptic letter and Lee's interference they revealed feelings long kept hidden. After the revelations, they had spent the rest of the day in conversation, intermixed with liberal kisses and holding each other. They talked about their feelings. The discussed their future and the ramifications of their relationship and how they would make it work for them. The also talked about Lee's part in everything. While grateful for their friends meddling, neither one of them were all too happy with Lee. Their friend had put them in an awkward position with a possibility of bad things happening had Lee misjudged either of them. They however decided to call Jamie and let the good doctor deal with their friend. Jamie had a way of keeping his lover in line that Chip and Harry often envied and the thought of what Jamie would do to Lee made him smile.

Even more than the thought of the punishment Jamie would dole out to Lee, the thought of the night before warmed Chip down to his toes. After they had talked and after they had shared a dinner they watched the sun set and chatted about more benign things than the seriousness of their relationship. The rest of their night had been spent in a discovery of a different kind.

Chip discovered he loved the way Harry tasted, every part of him. He loved how the crisp ginger coloured curls felt as he rubbed his body down Harry's. He loved finding the pebbled nipples among those curls and he loved hearing Harry's gasp as he suckled on them. But almost more than he adored making love to Harry, he loved the way Harry's hands felt on his body bringing him pleasure and driving his arousal high and higher until he thought he'd fly apart. And when he did fly apart, he loved that it was because he was stretched and filled by Harry.

Simply put, he just loved Harry and the liberation he felt at finally being able to admit it.

"What are you smiling about?" Harry finally asked, having watched Chip sitting next to him with a pleasant smile on his face.

Giving Harry's hand a squeeze, Chip answered with a smile, "What Jamie will do to Lee," which earned him a laugh from Harry, "and last night," he finished almost shyly.

"Me to," Harry admitted, having spent the few moments Chip was gone getting the wine reflecting on the night of loving they had shared.

"Why don't we go in and see what undiscovered territory there might still be," Chip suggested in a moment of boldness as he shifted slightly in his seat. The tenderness he saw in Harry's expression gave his confidence for his outrageous comments.

Harry stood and held out his hand to Chip, pulling his lover to his feet, he added, "Bring your wine. I want to see how it tastes on you."

Chip coughed and mentally thanked Lee for the dark Blue sheets on the large bed. He really didn't want to have to explain wine stains on the sheets. "And on you," he added mischievously as they walked hand in hand to the bed and their future.

The end.


End file.
